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Staff Type: Staff

Michael Pollock serves as CEO for Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. A thoughtful, motivated, outcomes-oriented leader, Michael drives DBSA’s mission of providing hope, help, support, and education to improve the lives of people living with mood disorders. He is a fierce advocate for the value of peer support, accessible mental health care, and programs and policies that empower people living with mood disorders to reach their full potential.

During his 30+ years of non-profit leadership experience, Michael has held leadership positions at the National Safety Council, Thresholds, and United Way.

Michael is an alumnus of Bowling Green State University, where he earned both a BS in Business Administration and an MS in Organization Development.

Interested in interviewing Michael or having him speak at your event? Contact media@dbsalliance.org.

Lisa Karlov serves as the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer (CFAO) at DBSA, where she is responsible for financial management, human resources, facilities, technology, and legal services. Working closely with senior leadership, she helps drive operational efficiency, ensures financial health, and supports the organization’s overall mission.

Lisa works to maximize mission impact through the departments she manages, ensuring that financial and administrative functions support DBSA’s goals. She previously worked in nonprofit organizations and most recently served as a nonprofit financial consultant, where she helped optimize financial operations and improve systems. She holds a degree from the University of Illinois and is committed to advancing DBSA’s mission through strategic financial leadership.

Betsy Rubinstein is the Senior Director of Development at DBSA and a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). In her role, she oversees the organization’s fundraising strategy, including from individuals; foundations and corporations; and pharmaceutical, healthcare, and biotech industry partners. Before her role at DBSA, Betsy was the Development & Communications Director at Habitat for Humanity Chicago, and previously held other key fundraising positions at Lambda Legal, CCS Fundraising, and Heartland Alliance.

Betsy holds an MA in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago and a BA in Philosophy from Washington University in St. Louis.

Suzanne Baber serves as Director, Peer Support Services and oversees DBSA’s Peer Support Services team and peer programs, including DBSA’s 80+ Chapter Network, 30+ National Online Support Groups, Peer Specialist Training and Workforce Development, and new projects and programs that drive the development and sustainability of peer-led support groups.

With more than 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Suzanne’s background includes expertise in program development and evaluation, integrated behavioral health, community mental health, and perinatal health quality improvement. Suzanne completed her undergraduate degree at UCLA and earned a master’s degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and holds certificates in Trauma-Informed Practice & Policy (SSA) and Healthcare Safety & Quality Improvement (IHI).

Jane is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of a communications plan in support of DBSA’s strategic priorities. This includes understanding the audiences DBSA reaches, their interests and needs related to peer support, mood disorders, and mental wellness. This strategy will broaden and diversify the organization’s reach through print, web, social media collateral, emails, presentations, and digital communications tied to strategic and programmatic objectives.

Jane previously worked at Heartland Alliance as an Associate Director of External Communications, where she was responsible for the communications strategy and execution for a 134-year-old human rights organization of 1400+ employees, which provided a broad array of diverse social services.

Andrew Smith is a public health social worker with more than 15 years’ experience working as a program manager and advocate on behalf of individuals who live with mental health conditions and various disabilities. 

In his role at DBSA, he helped develop and now presents a series of community education workshops to help individuals better understand how to access quality care. Additionally, Andrew works to galvanize mental health advocates and policymakers to improve mental health care at the state and federal level. 

Andrew received his master’s degrees in both public health and social work from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has an extensive work history as a mental health professional and case manager. His direct-practice experience as a licensed social worker gives him the insight needed to improve the mental healthcare system. 

Interested in interviewing Andrew or having him speak at your event? Contact media@dbsalliance.org.

Q: Position Title
A: Individual Giving Project Manager

Q: Department
A:  Development

Q: What is your role?
A:  I am responsible for the oversight and facilitation of DBSA’s annual fund, major donor program, honor and memorial tribute gifts, board giving, planned giving programs, and our donor management system all of which support the long-term ability of DBSA to execute its mission.

Q: When did you start working at DBSA?
A:  October 2021

Q: What are you most passionate about in life and work?
A:  Staying positive, living a healthy life, and encouraging others to do so as well.

Lisa Goduco serves as the first line of contact for peers participating in Breakthrough Discoveries for thriving with Bipolar Disorder (BD2) research and for facilitators, coordinators, researchers, and program vendors. Lisa is responsible for managing the administrative and first-line communication aspects of DBSA’s Peer Support Services Department, primarily focusing on DBSA’s partnership with the BD2 program.

Lisa has been a member of the DBSA staff since 2017, supporting peer specialist training and peer and policy engagement priorities for DBSA. She is a passionate and dedicated advocate of community service, consistently working to make a positive impact through her efforts and commitment to improving the lives of those around her.

Lisa earned a BFA in Interior Design from Harrington College of Design and BA in Political Science from Loyola University Chicago.

Douglas’ unique blend of professional and lived experience enables him to build and grow DBSA’s community of peer support specialists: people living with mood, substance use disorders and/or trauma who are trained and can be state certified and credentialed to help guide and support others in their own community to find wellness. 

Having experienced a mental health and substance use condition himself, Douglas strives to uplift others through peer support, community, and positivity. 

Douglas holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and is a state of Illinois certified and credentialed peer recovery specialist (CPRS).

Interested in interviewing Douglas or having him speak at your event? Contact media@dbsalliance.org.

Sabrina is the Development Operations Coordinator at DBSA and a highly skilled fundraising professional with 9 years of experience in donor data management, reporting, and stewardship. With a passion for driving donor engagement and retention, Sabrina optimizes donor database systems to ensure data integrity and deliver actionable insights to support strategic fundraising goals. Her collaborative approach and attention to detail have contributed to successful campaigns and strengthened donor relationships. Sabrina is excited to use her skills to further the mission of DBSA, creating lasting impact through strategic data insight and meaningful donor connections.